Trelleborg Prevents Vibrations at Prestigious London Development

19.01.2016

Trelleborg’s engineered products operation specified and supplied a combination of anti-vibration solutions for the prestigious new Zig Zag building on Victoria Street, London, England, reducing the transmission of noise and ground vibrations from the busy Circle and District underground transport lines below.

Completed in November 2015, as the 12 storey high Zig Zag office building is sat directly above Circle and District underground lines in one of London’s busiest transport districts, vibration control needed to be planned into the building design from the outset.

Senior Project Manager at Lend Lease, says: “Constructed in an increasingly prestigious area of London, this building is designed to be the most ecologically responsible and technically sophisticated possible, whilst responding to the changing needs of occupiers for generations to come. This includes ensuring that vibrations caused by traffic, and tubes in the direct vicinity do not impinge on the comfort of the occupants. Trelleborg was able to provide the optimum design and product solution to support the weight of the building and effectively manage the ground vibrations.”

Following an acoustic assessment of the ground-borne vibrations apparent at the construction site, Trelleborg designed and provided bearings to be installed through the Zig Zag building ranging from lateral restraints, stand-alone bearings, shear keys and tension restraints. They were capable of supporting columns of 1,000 tonnes to isolating a staircase supporting one tonne.

Design Manager within Trelleborg’s engineered products operation, says: “As cities the size and complexity of London grow, the challenges of constructing iconic buildings in complex environments increase, not just in terms of space, access and proximity, but also in terms of how they perform acoustically.

“Our team of experts were able to meet the strategic environmental demands of vibration reduction in this landmark construction and ensure that no matter the load or location of the bearing within the building, each unit deflected by the same amount to bring consistent performance throughout.”

The opening of the Zig Zag building in November 2015 brings the three-year project to a successful conclusion.